Animal Welfare Alliance Calls for Repairing a ‘Broken’ Animal Welfare System in Australia

An animal welfare alliance was reportedly formed, calling the Australian government to fix the "broken" animal welfare system of Australia.

The alliance is claiming Australia is lagging behind other countries when it comes to implementing laws and regulations on the welfare of poultry and farm animals.

Since 2009, several legislative drafts in some states are still pending approval by the Australian government.

As a result, animal welfare experts are pushing the creation of a national independent animal welfare commission that could achieve the minimum standards of animal welfare in the country.

Animal Welfare

According to the Animal Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA), animal welfare is a concept that pertains to the holistic living condition of an animal.

It considers both the physical and mental health of animals, as well as the overall state and well-being of the animal.

The AVMA also emphasized that good animal welfare indicated that an animal is free from pain, suffering, and fear.

Additionally, the organization said that an animal is in a good state of animal welfare if it is comfortable, healthy, and well-nourished.

Individuals are responsible for ensuring that the essential needs of animals are provided, including food, water, shelter, and humane treatment, says AVMA.

Furthermore, governments are also required to provide laws and regulations supporting animal welfare.

Poultry and Farming Practices

Current poultry and farming practices in Australia have long been called by animal rights and welfare groups to put an end to some methods, as per The Guardian.

These methods put a farming animal under unnecessary pain and discomfort prior to being killed and sold in the market

To name a few, some states in Australia are still using battery cages and sow stalls on some poultry animals, including chicken and pigs.

However, the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) has already banned battery cages and sow stalls in 2014, according to the Parliament of Australia.

Animal Welfare Alliance

Still, the issue in the animal welfare system of Australia has prompted the recent creation of an animal rights and welfare coalition known as the Australian Alliance for Animals.

The alliance was created by two animal welfare experts from the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA).

Both RSPCA Australia's Chief Scientific Officer, Dr. Bidda Jones, and Senior Policy Officer, Dr. Jed Goodfellow, stepped down from the animal welfare charity organization, which is primarily based in England and Wales in the UK.

According to The Guardian, Jones and Goodfellow were reportedly frustrated with the alleged faulty animal welfare system of Australia as several of the following legislative drafts or bills are still pending approval from the Australian government:

• Guidelines and Standards for Abattoirs, which has been pending since 2012
• Minimum Standards for Pig Welfare, currently still for approval since 2018
• National Minimum Welfare Standards for Horses, not yet finalized since 2009

According to the WAtoday news in Australia, major animal rights and protection groups have joined the Australian Alliance for Animals, which represents approximately 2 million people with the aim of fixing the animal welfare system of Australia.